In a conventional production line for an absorbent article such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins, as shown in a schematic side view of FIG. 1, single-cut sheets 7 made of a soft nonwoven fabric or the like are attached to a continuous sheet 8a made of a soft nonwoven fabric or the like at a predetermined attachment pitch P7 in the direction in which the continuous sheet 8a extends.
As an example of the above method, PLT 1 describes a method as follows. First, the single-cut sheets 7 cut off by a cutter roller 121 are sucked to and held on an outer circumferential surface 123s of a rotating anvil roller 123 at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction. Also, at a predetermined position Pout (hereinafter referred to as a “delivery position Pout”) of the outer circumferential surface 123s in the circumferential direction, the continuous sheet 8a is fed so as to run along the tangent of the outer circumferential surface 123s. An adhesive (not shown) is previously applied to portions of the continuous sheet 8a on which the single-cut sheets 7 are to be placed. Thus, when each single-cut sheet 7 held on the outer circumferential surface 123s passes the delivery position Pout, a portion thereof that is passing the delivery position Pout is sequentially attached and delivered to the continuous sheet 8a. 